Wiser and Older: Empowerment and Education Series for Adult Children and Seniors

Right at Home Central Oregon Presents Wiser and Older: Empowerment and Education Series for Adult Children and Seniors

 

Legacy Coach Ali Davidson Featured in Four Workshops

To Be Held from February through May 2011

 

 

Bend, OR----In-home care agency Right At Home of Central Oregon is launching a new educational series in February 2011 designed to help adult children, boomers and seniors consider and develop a plan of action for their parents’ (or their own) elder years. Wiser and Older: Empowerment and Education Series for Adult Children and Seniors consists of four workshops on such topics as the necessity of having a plan (for one’s self and one’s parents), intergenerational rapport, legal and financial issues to be addressed, housing and care options, and the differences between Alzheimer’s and Dementia, to name several subjects that will be addressed.

 

Julie Burket, CEO of Right at Home of Central Oregon, developed Wiser and Older in partnership with local author and legacy expert Ali Davidson, whose expertise with the senior population was honed during the decade Davdson and her husband owned a successful in-home care agency.

 

Comments Right at Home CEO Burket, “Through the past year and a half of providing in-home care in Central Oregon, I have seen how great is the need for people to discuss the next steps for themselves and their parents. Right At Home is often called in to help when a crisis occurs and there is no longer time for calm discussion. Wiser and Older presents a terrific opportunity to help educate people about the need for each of us to have a plan for our elder years.  And, what better person to lead this series than someone like Ali Davidson, who has been successfully advising seniors and their families in our community for over a decade.

 

Davidson recently authored a workbook called It's Between You and Me to help adult children and their parents work together to create a plan for the senior years. As a counselor in private practice and a master in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Davidson coaches adult children and seniors on how to maximize a senior’s independence and choice in a time of diminishing personal freedom.  In her legacy planning sessions, Davidson helps family members create intergenerational rapport and teaches adult children to communicate in a way their senior parent can hear. Davidson possesses a profound understanding of the senior experience, which is conveyed in her counseling and speaking on behalf of seniors’ independence and freedom.

 

 

“Caring for elderly parents can be very difficult for the adult child,” comments Davidson, “especially when a crisis is what precipitates a first conversation on these sensitive topics. My intention is to help you think preventively when in comes to your aging parents (and yourself!)  A senior’s need for control and a child’s need for peace of mind will be satisfied when denial is set aside, a conversation occurs, and a plan for the aging years is created cooperatively, long before the need arises.”

Wiser and Older commences on Tuesday, February 22nd, 5:30 -7:30 p.m., and continues at the same time on the fifth Tuesday of March, and the fourth Tuesdays of April and May. The series is being held in the Riverbend Community Room, Bend Parks and Recreation Building, 799 SW Columbia Street, Bend.  Tickets to individual workshops are $29 in advance, or $39 at the door. Tickets to the entire series of four workshops is offered at the discounted price of $99.  A portion of the proceeds from Wiser and Older benefit Neighbor Impact’s Energy Assistance Program to help seniors heat their homes during the cold winter months. To register, please go to www.wiserandoldernow.com or call Right At Home of Central Oregon at 541.633-7436

 

 

PROGRAM OVERVIEWS BY MONTH:

 

February 22:  Successful Aging is in the Plan
This presentation helps establish the groundwork for the blueprint of your aging years.  Like the victims of Katrina, many seniors and their families are caught off guard when a crisis hits home. Having a blueprint of action and understanding is like having insurance for the hurricane that can someday threaten our safety.

Learn to:

• • Start the conversation about aging and reframe independence
• • Establish the framework of a plan for the aging years
• • Recognize the importance of legacy

This workshop is sponsored by Karnopp Petersen LLP.

 

March 30*: The Dance of Rapport: It’s Not What You Say But How You Say It

This presentation will enhance your relationships and help you effectively communicate with all ages. Understanding the structure of rapport allows you to use this tool consciously in any situation.  It ensures that the intention of your message is being received. Communication is a feedback loop, like dancing to the same beat.

Learn to:

?Build rapport instantly and influence with integrity

? Facilitate communication with someone who has dementia, is stressed, angry or depressed

 

 

April 26: Are You My Mother? Working with Dementia and Alzheimer’s

This presentation offers understanding, knowledge, and tools to those caring for someone with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Fifty percent of all seniors over the age of 85 will experience some form of Dementia. The more we understand, the less we fear, and the better equipped we are to handle situations with patience, love and compassion. 

Learn to:

• •Identify the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer and the goals of caring for those affected by each illness
• • Deal with adverse behaviors and minimize anxiety, frustration and guilt 
• • Nuture and get support for yourself in a stressful care-giving situation

 

 

May 24: Now What? An Expert Panel Presents Legal, Financial and Caregiving Scenarios and Solutions

This presentation will take us on a journey through the roadblocks of aging, when things begin to change and at which milestones decisions have to be made.  Maintaining control is imperative for a senior as they negotiate the rest of their lives requiring assistance from others. We delve into how all parties can remain empowered and when one needs to let go.

Learn to:

• • Be an advocate without taking control
• • Create the plan that will empower you and your senior

 

For more information on Wiser and Older, go to www.wiserandoldernow.com or call Right at Home of Central Oregon, 541.633-7436.